500 homestay owners apply for registration, says Karnataka Tourism Commissioner

Bengaluru, Jul 19 (PTI) Registration of homestays operating in Karnataka has received an encouraging response with more than 500 homestay owners applying for registration so far. Tourism Department Commissioner V Ram Prasath Manohar on Sunday said registration of Home Stays has been made mandatory for all. He urged all eligible homestay operators, who are yet to register to complete the process without delay and become part of Karnataka's formal tourism ecosystem. "The new registration framework has received an overwhelming response from homestay owners, with more than 500 applications already submitted. This is an encouraging sign that the sector is embracing a transparent and regulated tourism ecosystem,' Manohar said in a statement. Noting that registration is now mandatory, the officer urged all homestay operators to complete the process at the earliest. "Guidelines for registration of homestay establishments introduced by the Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka, are being implemented successfully and have generated widespread participation from homestay owners across the State," he added. With registration now mandatory, the commissioner appealed to all unregistered homestay operators to obtain official recognition by registering with the Department of Tourism at the earliest. "Of the applications received so far, around 400 have already completed document verification and are currently undergoing field inspections. Every application is subject to a comprehensive verification process before a registration certificate is issued," the officer said. According to Manohar, the inspections are carried out jointly by the officials of the Department of Tourism, Police Department, Deputy Commissioner's Office, and the Chief Executive Officer, Zilla Panchayat/Project Director, District Urban Development Cell. The inspection process evaluates compliance with prescribed standards relating to infrastructure, safety, hygiene and operational requirements, he explained. The Commissioner said that homestays that fail to meet the minimum standards prescribed under the guidelines will not be granted registration. Applicants may rectify the identified deficiencies and submit a fresh application for consideration. He explained that following the successful verification, completion of inspections and approval by the competent authority, the registration certificate will be issued within 45 days. The certificate will remain valid for five years, after which renewal will be mandatory. The mandatory registration framework is designed to provide official government recognition to genuine homestays operating in Karnataka, the statement said. Besides assuring tourists of safe, reliable and quality accommodation, the initiative will enable the Department of Tourism to maintain an authenticated database of registered homestays across the State. Registered homestays will also be required to comply with the Department's operational and safety protocols, further strengthening visitor confidence and promoting responsible and sustainable tourism in Karnataka. The department formulated the guidelines following a few unpleasant incidents in the state involving foreign tourists. PTI GMS ROH